Albertville, AL
A smile is a prized commodity in our society, and no one knows that better than our cosmetic dentist in Albertville. Creating showstopping smiles is our business — our specialty. That’s one reason it’s disappointing to see online companies popping up, promising to save consumers time and money with DIY, at-home teeth-straightening aligners.
We want to set the record straight.
Large online companies like SmileDirectClub have profited from tens of thousands of people’s desire to straighten their smile from the comfort of home. This supposedly saves money and time in follow-up dental visits. What it’s not saving is your oral health, including the health of your jaw bone, which is severely compromised by using DIY orthodontics.
Our cosmetic dentists specialize in straightening teeth through traditional braces or Invisalign clear aligner treatments, and today they are breaking down the dangers of at-home orthodontics and how we can help fix what these DIY companies are breaking.
SmileDirectClub files bankruptcy, disappears
Once a popular direct-to-consumer aligner company, SmileDirectClub has left tens of thousands of consumers confused and in limbo after filing for bankruptcy and announcing in December 2023 that it is closing its global operations, halting its teeth-aligner treatments and shutting down its customer care support, according to the Associated Press.
The SmileDirectClub’s “lifetime smile guarantee” has fallen flat and left consumers with empty wallets and nothing at all to smile about. How will consumers complete the remainder of their treatment? Will they receive a refund for the money they’ve already invested? Unfortunately, it’s highly possible they won’t get answers to those questions since customer care support for the direct-to-consumer aligner company has disappeared.
Patient displacement
Sudden patient displacement is a big risk that consumers take when choosing to do business with DIY at-home orthodontic companies. When you choose orthodontic dentistry through our reputable orthodontics practice in Gadsden, you are developing a relationship with a real dentist and dental team in a real, physical building where you will go for follow-up visits. You will be encouraged to stop by or call any time you have questions during your treatment or beyond. Direct-to-consumer companies like SmileDirectClub are not accountable to consumers. And when they don’t want to answer your questions, they can close-up shop, shut down customer care support and walk away. No harm, no foul, right?
Wrong.
The real harm of at-home orthodontics
Clear aligners like SmileDirectClub’s — and those that are recommended as part of the Invisalign treatment program in our office — can very rapidly shift teeth. The problem with direct-to-consumer companies is the lack of supervision. A dentist plays a critical role in aligner orthodontics. A lack of supervision and professional guidance creates elevated risks to a patient’s oral health, including gum disease, jaw bone loss, tooth loss and severe damage to the jaw joints and muscles that control how the teeth fit together long-term and how they will react to new, largely unsupervised positioning of the teeth. It can also cause the development of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, a painful jawbone condition that often limits jaw movement and contributes to chronic headaches, ringing and pain deep in the ear, hearing problems and neck/shoulder spasms.
Correcting DIY At-Home Orthodontics in Albertville, Alabama
At-home, direct-to-consumer orthodontic programs are simply not worth the risk you’d take to use them. Because our cosmetic dentists at Wall Street Dentistry care about you and your oral health, we are offering free virtual consultations to anyone who is a victim of SmileDirectClub or any direct-to-consumer company like it. To schedule your consultation, contact us at (256) 400-2783, or reach out to us online today.
